Internal-combustion engine.



'C. E. KEEL.

lNTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED Nov.20,4:9x5.

Patented J an! 7, 1919,

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C. E. KEEL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.2o, 191s.

1,2 Patented 32111.7,1919.

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\ I/VVE/VTOR War/ 5 it M 2 BY 7 A k ATTORNEYS CHARLES E. KEEL, F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. *7, 1919.

1 Application filed November 20,1916. Serial no. 132.369.

sion for each revolution, the objectbeing to construct an engine having a much higher degree of compression and a saving of fuel in that a greater portion of the heat units is converted into work.

Another feature of the invention is that the water jacket, as used on the ordinary type of internal combustion engine, may be eliminated so as to retain the heat of the explosion and after being started, fire the charge without the use of a s ark,

which will not only develop a more e cient engineby converting a greater portion of the heat into work instead of permitting it to escape but will also prevent any preigni tion. 1 r

A further feature of the invention is the means for compressing air which is forced into the gas chamber to be mixed with natural or artificial gas, the mechanism of which is simplified and friction reduced to a minimum by means of the air compression piston being secured directly to and in alinement with the driving piston.

Still another feature of the invention is the mechanism for forcing the gas and air into a mixing chamber and firing chamber under pressure.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view looking down on the engine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal crosssection through the cylinders, showing "the valves and piston in exhausting position. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the cams and a central longitudinal section through the valve mechanism which shows the position of the valves when the piston is at deadcenter just before firing. v

In the drawings there is shown an internalcombustion engine having a base and a housing 11 in which a frame 12 is adapted to reciprocate between the driving piston 13 and the air compression piston 14 to which it is secured. 1 The air compressing piston 14 is adapted to reciprocate in the air cylinder 15 and the driving piston 13 in the cylinder 16. There is a crank shaft 17 on which a connecting rod 18 is pivoted,

said connecting rod being pivoted at its other end to the piston 13 by a wrist pin 19. On the piston 13 there are piston rings 20 and' the head of said piston is surmounted by heat insulating material 21 which prevents the escape of the heat from the firing chamber 22 through said piston. On the crankshaft 17 there is a plurality of cams which act on rods and levers to operate the various valves. The cam 23 operates a lever 24 fulcrumed at 25 through a roller 26, which operates an exhaust alve 27 through a valve stem 28 and a rod 29 so that said valve is opened by the operation of said cam during the exhaust movement of the piston. The cam 30 operates a rod 31 through a roller 32 on a bell crank 33 which is pivoted to the housing at 34. Said rod 31 is secured to a tie rod 35 which is secured at one end to a gas pumping plunger 36 which is adapted to reciprocate in a gas chamber 37 The other end of the rod 35 is secured througha bearing 38 to a transfer plunger 39 which reciprocates between a mixing chamber 40 and the firing chamber 22. Said transfer plunger has a passage- Way 41 through which the mixture is forced from the mixing chamber to the firing chamber. Said transfer plunger is constructed of heat insulating material such as layers of asbestos incased in thin metal and also the firing chamber is lined with heat insulating material so that the heat from the explosion will be retained therein. By providing the transfer plunger 39 of heat insulating material and placing the same between the explosion chamber and point of inlet of the gas and air, the mixing chamber is always kept cool so that a full charge of gas and air will enter the mixing chamber regardless of how hot the explosion chamber may get. The exploded gases or exhaust is prevented from passing through the opening 41 into the mixing chamber through the action of the plunger 36 which presses inwardly simultaneously with the transfer plunger 39 and consequently is forcing a supply of gas into the mixing chamber, the pressure of which is sufiicient to prevent any of the exhaust from returning through the Opening 41, owing to the restricted diameter of said openin The cam 42 is adapted to engage a roller 43 on the end of the bell crank 33 so as to operate the rod 31 in the opposite direction to its operation by the roller 32. The cam 44 ergages at each revolution a roller 45 on the end of a bell crank 46 which is fulcrumed to the housing at 47. Pivoted to the other end of said crank is a rod 48 which is secured to a valve stem 49 so as to operate a valve 50, the cam 44 being so constructed that the valve is suddenly opened and closed once during each cycle of the engine.

There is an air inlet ooleading into the air compression chamber or cylinder 15 and an outlet 56 in said chamber, which outlet leads through a pipe 57 to a compressed air tank .58. JThe air from the tank 58 is led directly to a chamber 59 through a pipeGO and is forced into the mixing chamber when the valve 50 is opened. There are check valves of the ordinary construction provided in the air inlet and outlet 55 and 56, whichare not shown herein. A spark plug 61 is inserted through thecylinder into the firing chamber 22 to be used in firing the charge until said chamber has been superheated when its use may be discontinued.

A gas pipe (SQ-leads from any source of supply of natural or artificial gas into a gas chamber 63. Said chamber is provided with a valvev 64 between said chamber and the gas chamber 37. There is a valve 65 which operates between the gas chamber 37 and the mixing chamber 40 so that the gas may be forced from the gas chamber to the cham ber 40 through said valve by the pump plunger S6. .The same rod which operates the pump plunger also operates the transfer plunger so that the mixing chamber is en larged and sucks the gas inat the same time. The simultaneous movement of said plungers forces the gas from one chamber to the other and also prevents it from passing through the passageway 41 of the transfer plunger into the firing chamber before the proper time, because of the vacuum which it will produce in the mixing chamber 40;

The operation of the engine is as follows: j I

When the piston 13 is at the end of the stroke, the cam 23 engages the'roller 26 and through the lever 24, opens the exhaust valve 27 t permit the exploded gas to escape. After theexhaust valve opens, the

cam 42 engages the roller 43 and through the rod 31 actuates the transfer plunger 35) toward the piston. The rod being also connected to the pump plunger 36, it is caused to move in the same direction whereby the gas is forced from the gas chamber 37 through the valve 65 into the mixinechamber'40. lVhen the driving piston is at the end of the exhaust stroke, the cam 23 releases the roller 26 and the exhaust valve 27 closes. Thus it will be seen that when the driving piston is moving toward the end of the cylinder, the transfer plunger is moving forward toward said piston and the gas plunger 36, moving in unison therewith, fills the mixing chamber 40 with gas. Therefore, when the transfer plunger and the driving piston are moving toward each other, they exhaust the burnt gases and at the same time a new charge of fuel gas is received in the mixing chamber. At the instant the exhaust valve is closed, the cam 1-4 engages the roller 45 and the rod 48 which is connected to the valve 50, and causes said valve to suddenly open and permit com pressed air from the tank 58 to be forced into the mixing chamber 40.

This operation is almost instantaneous as th moment the cam releases said roller, the valve closes and then the cam 30 engages the roller 32 and through the rod 81 causes the transfer plunger and the pump plunger to simultaneously move away from the piston and the mixture of air and gas in the mixing chamber will be forced through the passageway 41 into the firing chamber where the charge may be ignited by the spark plug or the heat, as the case may be. At the same time the pump plunger is drawing a new charge of gas through the valve 64 into the gas chamber 37. The driving piston is then in position to receive the explosion whichforces it back on the driving stroke during which movement the cam 23 opens the exhaust valve at the proper interval and the exploded gas escapes. This operation completes one cycle of the engine.

It will be noted from the foregoing that the compressed air is suddenly admitted to the mixingchamberwhen the piston is near or at dead center, as shown in Fig. 4. The air pressure compresses the mixture ready for firing and the exhaust valve is closed just before the air is admitted.

The invention claimed is 1. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a crank shaft, means on said piston for operating said crank shaft, means for permitting the exhaust of the gas from said cylinder, a mixing chamber, a gas chamber, a gas plunger for drawing the gas into said gas cham ber and forcing it into said mixing chamber, a transfer plunger adapted to transfer the gas from said mixing chamber to said cylinder, and a single means for operating said plungers simultaneously. 7

2. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a crank shaft, means on said piston for operating said crank shaft, means for permitting the exhaust of the gas from said cylinder, a mixing chamber, a gas chamber, a gas plunger for drawing the gas into said gas chamber and forcing it into said mixing chamber, a transfer plunger adapted to transfer the gas from said mixing chamber to "said cylinder, a cam on said crankshaft, and means actuated by said cam for operating said plungers simultaneously. 5 1

8. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a;;piston in said cylinder, a crank shaft, means on said piston for operating said crank shaft, means for permitting the exhaust of the gas from said cylinder, a mixing chamber, a gas chamber, a gas plunger for drawing the'gas into said gas chamber and forcing it into 'said mixing chamber, a transfer plunger adapted to transfer the gas from said mixing chamber to said cylinder, cams on said crank shaft, a bell crank, rollers on said bell crank adapted to engage said cams, and a rod pivoted thereto and secured to said plungers for operating them simultaneously. 1

l. An internal combustion enginedncluding a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a crank shaft, means on said piston for operating said crank shaft, means for permitting the exhaust of the gas from said cylinder, a mixing chamber, a gas chamber, a gas plunger for drawing the gas into said gas chamber and forcing it into said mixing chamber, a transfer plunger adapted to transfer the gas from said mixing chamber to said cylinder, cams on said crank shaft, means actuated by said cams for operating said plungers, and means actuated by one of said cams for permitting compressed air to instantaneously enter the mixing chamber. 1

5. An internal combustion engine includ ing a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, a crank shaft, means on saidpiston for operating said crank shaft, a combustion chamber in said cylinder, means on said piston and cylinder for retaining heat therein, a mixing chamber, a transfer plunger adapted to reciprocate between saidfcombustion chamber and mixing chamber, a gas plunger adapted to force gas into said mixing chamber, a compressed air containing element, a valve between the compressed air containing element and the mixing chamber, means for operating said valve, means for forcing air into said element, and means for operating said transfer plunger and gas plunger simultaneously whereby the mixture will be forced from said mixing chamber into said combustion chamber An internal combustion engine includ ing oppositely extending cylinders, pistons in said cylinders, means for connecting said pistons, a crank shaft, means on one of said pistons for operating said crank shaft, a combustion chamber in one of said cylindcrs, insulating' material for retaining heat therein, an exhaust valve, a gas chamber having a valve therein, a gas plunger adapted to reciprocate in said gas chamber, a mixing chamber, a transfer plunger having a passage therethrough between said mixing chamber and combustion chamber, means for simultaneously operating said gas plunger and transfer plunger, whereby gas will be 'drawn into said gas chamber when the mixed gas is forced into said combustion chamber and on the return movement of said plungers will be forced from the gas chain ber into said mixing chamber, means connected with one of said cylinders for receiving and storing compressed air, means connecting said "air receiving and storing means with said mixing chamber, a valve between said mixing chamber and said last-mentioned means, and means for operating said valve to admit air into said mixing chamber immediately after said exhaust valve is closed.

7. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder, a piston in one end of said cylinder, means to operate said piston, a transfer plunger of heat insulating material in the opposite end of said cylinder, said plunger dividing said end of the cylinder into a mixing chamber and an explosion chamber, said chambers being on opposite sides of the plunger, said transfer plunger having an opening therethrough, a gas regulating plunger, means to reciprocate said transfer, plunger and gas regulating plunger simultaneously, and means to admit air and gas into said i'nixing chamber.

In witness whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature. 5 V v ClF-IARLES E. KEEL.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G. 

